bianchi_rider

I never thought I would be making a thread of this nature, but have seen a few and they dont answer what just happened to me, so here goes and please guys any info would be appreceiated.
I had my first real major battle with asthma starting Saturday night, you know just some coughing and snot drainage the puffer and nasalnex took care of it where it was managable, Sunday Night it got worse and I ended up in the emergency room gasping for air, I couldnt breath at all. My oxygen levels were at 72% and the people in the er were amazed that I walked in on my own two feet. My white blood cell count was extremely high. They admitted me once my oxygen levels reached 90-94% but to be honest i was pretty well out of it, i recall the ER nurse saying that 72% could have made me have a heart attack, or my breathing would have stopped completely or I may have just gone to sleep and not woke up, they asked my wife how I managed to hang on so long, she told them about my cycling and boxing backgrounds, not to mention my hard head and big heart, they still couldnt beleive I was walking and not breathing with 72% o2 levels.
They had me on so many antibiotics, steroids, (inhiblator every four hours , spelling) and a few other things I dont recall, not to mention I hadnt eaten all day Sunday due to vomitting.
I did notice that when I took the oxygen off in the hospital for a few hours my levels would drop a few %, should I be worried about this?
I was released tonight but still have some wheezing, coughing and snot but not too bad, and my oxygen levels were between 93-96% at the time of my release.
The doctor said I shouldnt ride for a few days, and has me scheduled on Friday for a follow up appt.
Have any of you experienced anything this severe, should I be worried, can asthma be cured or will I always have it, how long do you think I will be off my bike, what should I do other than take the mass of prescriptions that were given to me when I was released? Again any info will be taken to heart I dont want to give up my cycling. But after my experience I am shall we say afraid and I guess I am still scared.
Thanks in advance

1oldRoadie

Have you found a specialist yet? If not please do so. Asthma really sucks but it can be managed...the drug trade-offs are not as great as we might wish but we can survive and RIDE.

Your comments about "snot" makes me suspect that an allergy might be mixed in there somewhere.

I'm not a doctor, and I didn't stay in an over priced motel...but I do get to enjoy the roller-coaster of asthma/allergies. I do feel for you. and my advice is find the best specialist that you can. and keep going back, they are coming up with new drugs every day. Good luck.

Terry

Moonshot

I remember watching one of those ER reality type shows. Some guy was in the ER with an asthma attack and they eventually had to intubate him. Before they did he was struggling so hard to breathe my heart went out to the guy. I'm sorry you went through that.

My five year old son has asthma. They say he might outgrow it and I pray that he does. I'm not sure whether an adult can be "cured" of asthma or not.

girl27

I was wondering about the snot factor, too. I don't remember ever having snot issues like that, during an attack.

But I've been in that same hospital bed, with the same O2 levels. You lasted as long as you did, because you're super cool. I know bike riders are into suffering, and all, but don't be so damn stoic, man! Your recovery time would be less, probably, if you'd have solved the problem sooner. Your body went through A LOT over the weekend. Don't underestimate what just happened to your system. Both the attack, and the meds used to cure it, are really hard on your body.

Go to the followup appointment, and get yourself a specialist. Have you been officially diagnosed? You might get some pulmonary testing done. Don't worry - it's a manageable disease.

Hey - check the pollen count for last weekend. Maybe you're allergic to tree pollens you didn't know about? Something? That might explain the snot. (By the way, do you snot in celeste?)

Hope you're feeling better, Binky. How's your heart rate? Through the roof, I'll bet?

...girl27 (one puff, twice daily)

MsVicki

I second that suggestion!

forum*rider

my younger cousin is actually in the hospital right now with something like this. It isn't as bad as what you describe but his oxygen level(s) was about 80%-85%.

They have him resting with and hes breathing pure oxygen. Hes fine with the mask on but when they take it off the oxygen levels drop back down to 80%-85%.

Moonshot: You can outgrow asthma. I used to have it when I was younger and now It's almost completely gone.( I still get a bit wheezy after hard exercise)

Prosody

Asthma is weird. I had it as a kid and grew out of it. My son, too, had it as a little kid. He hasn't had problems with it since he was around 6 years old. Some people have no problems with it as kids but have first attacks as adults. By all means, see a doctor. What happened could have been triggered by allergies or by a viral infection. It could be a single episode that will not happen again, or it could be the beginning of more problems. Go get treated and take care of yourself. With effective management, you will be fine. Your cycling probably has your lungs in much better shape than most people's.

bianchi_rider

Thanks everyone,
# yes the appt I have on Friday is with a specialist referred to me from the Hospital, #2 No I havent been diagnosed with asthma but thats what all my prior visits and appointments led to believe, I have been prescribed a puffer numerous times.
#3 My snot started clear, then changed to bloody at the hospital, and as of today was slimey green, close to celeste. ( I was told when the snot is clear its safe, when its slimy, white or green there is an infection)
#4 I moved just over 3 and 1/2 years ago to Florida where the pollen is very high, from New Mexico 4 corners area where I have all four seasons, mountains, desert, dust and weeds, Pollens are definately different, but the problem was starting there prior to moving here, I was given a puffer at that time over 3 years ago and it helped.
I just went to the drs on the 26th of april and was given a prescription for a puffer and naselnex, like I said they helped, but on sunday i may have over done it
again thanks everyone

Fugazi Dave

The specialist should be able to help you out. I have exercise-induced asthma (which, contrary to what some people seem to think, does exist and is not a "designer disease"), and it really got me down a lot in high school when I was running cross country and track. I had an inhaler for a while that didn't do much, but when they got the medication right I was able to up the level of my training such that in the span of a year my time in the 5k dropped by over 2 minutes down to a PR or 16:46. There's no way I could have done it without having proper medication for my asthma. It is manageable, there is no reason not to grab it by the balls and give it a good thrashing.

Waldo

Maxair and Advair should be your friend, depending on the severity of your case. Advair does a decent job of preventing me from having issues and Maxair does a good job in most instances of an attack. As you are doing, a specialist is the way to go.

phat bahsturd

I also have exercise induced asthma. I just found this out from the doctor about a year ago... It really sucks. But 2 shots of albuterol usually keeps me breathing normally for a good 5 hours. The thing is you don't want to overdo that stuff as i was told your body WILL get used to it.

geebee

I have asthma to, once they workout what works for you the amount of meds should plumet.
Once under proper control It shouldn't have a huge impact on lifestyle and shouldn't have much effect on your riding other than keeping an inhaler nearby just in case.
One last stupid sugestion have your colesterol tested, onset of heart disease can emulate severe and hard to treat asthma, I found out the hard way! Again the above applies.
All the best mate.
Gary

Joe S

New Mexico may have dust, weeds, but it is dry. The moisture in Florida may make the allergic reaction more severe. That happened to me when I moved East after living in LA. My own condition has been less severe, but riding improves my asthma a great deal, as long as the air isn't super bad. It opens my lungs and reduces asthma symptoms.

Dahon.Steve

Sounds to me like you had/have an infection. Very deadly if you have asthma.

I think you should read a book that I picked up years ago on Amazon.com (Reversing Asthma, Richard Firshein) on asthma. The write/doctor was in a very similar postion like you and nearly died once the drugs stopped working. Once the drugs stopped working for my father I had to bury him.

There are people out there that can live for decades with a puffer. Many people can't. I think you have become one of them. These drugs cannot protect YOU anymore and I hope you realize this.

The book I want you to read covers almost all the bases. He like you, lived on the puffer. Unlike you, he decided getting off the drug was necessary to extend his life. You're kidding youself if you think this problem will go away with a stronger drug. It won't. Asthma kills thousands of people each year who thought they had the "right" medication. They didn't. Everyone with asthma feels a stronger perscription will make them better. For many it won't. Your body told you the game is almost over unless you make drastic changes.

Let me ask you something. Do you eat lots of meat? Dairy? Did you know that cutting these out of your diet can reduce or eliminate your asthma? Read the book.

I have asthma just as bad if not worse than you. I don't take drugs nor do I run marathons. You will see me walking up hills instead of standing on the peddals like Lance Amstrong. Why? I refuse to take drugs for cycling and it's as simple as that.

You have a family from what I understand. Do you want to see your kids grow up? You need to educate yourself on this disease and recognize that drugs you are taking are working for and against you. In my opinion, you've reached the point of no return. Once the doctors get you on steroids, then you know the end is just around the corner. The steroids are the last hope have and when those stop working, you end up cycling among the clouds.

geebee

Dahon.steve that decision is yours to make but I would check up on deaths caused by natrual astma cures, people often improve and stop carrying puffer etc. then have a major attack and die before help can arrive ( this is so common I have seen news items mention it ). The choice is up to the individual, I take the smallest amount of drugs that I can get away with, and am not on steroids but have had them for short periods in the past during severe attacks.Luckily its under better control now days.

1oldRoadie

I didn't get asthma until I quit smoking and was over 45 years old.

bianchi_rider

Again thanks everyone, I will definately take all these things to heart.
Since the Doc said no work for a few days I did spend my day researching this thing, and from what i gather the snot does indicate an infection, possibly pollen or brochitous or something else. But I did come across something called "Colloidal Silver" water.
I have heard of this before and in fact know of a person that drinks it and swears by it. I havent had a chance to talk to him in some time, so have any of you out in the forum tried this water, what were the results, is it just another miracle "snake oil" to get my money? any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.
again thanks

Prosody

Ingesting heavy metals is not good for you, period.

Treatment for asthma has been improving. It is certainly better than it was 45 years ago when i was treated with phenylbarbitol, adrenalin, and, eventually, prednisone, a "miracle" drug that did, indeed work well but also led to cataracts when I was in my 30s.

My son used theophylline under the brand name Slo-Bid, albuterol in a nebulizer, and a drug called Intal, which is a brand name for cromolyn sodium. Intal is used a a prophylactic, while the other two drugs are bronchial dialtors used to treat asthma attacks.

It's true that some people have such severe asthma that treatment fails and they die. Most people with asthma, however, respond well to treatment. You should work with your doctor to find an effective treatment for you. I think the worst thing you could do is attempt to treat it without medical guidance.

manboy

I've got some pretty terrible asthma, caused by a lot of things (cold air, allergies, exercise, infections, or nothing at all). In response to Dahon.Steve, I don't think I'd be alive if it weren't for modern medicine, and although I'm not all that happy about it, I'm thankful that I'm alive and more in control of my asthma than ever. I'm taking Advair now, and it's great; I think this must be about what "normal" feels like. I'd like to be off the meds too, but I do what I can. And it seems to have worked for about 17 years so far.

Bianchi, I hope you get things pretty well under control. I agree with the guys who said it could be allergies. I've had an anaphylactic reaction to lots of things: food, pets, etc., but mostly food. Did you eat anything weird before the episode? Were you exposed to any chemicals or environmental factors that might have brought this on?

If I were you, I'd get tested for allergies. They can test on your skin, or they can take blood and test for any number of allergens. And if that's what's going on, they can give you an epinephrine kit in case it happens again.

Good luck to you. I'm sure you can overcome it. Just remember to take care of yourself and play it safe.

Al.canoe

The Southeast is really bad for sinus infections which you definitely have. The Four Corners area is probably a lot healthier place to live. You'll need antibiotics to clear the infection in a reasonable time. I was diagnosed with chronic Asthma at age 4 and I'm now 65. I have chronic sinus problems which exacerbates the Asthma. My Asthma is allergy, cold and exercise induced. I used to suffer sinus infections once or twice a year until I started taking Claritin (now available over-the-counter; it's very cheap at Sam's). Now I only get a mild infection every couple of years and can beat it with out antibiotics. Additionally, I use a mild Steroid nose spray during high pollen, high mold periods of the year. Typical allergens for asthmatics includes pollen, mold and common household dustmites. Some foods like orange juice and sulfured dried fruits can cause an attack so I avoid them. Many Asthmatics are allergic to Aspirin.

The standard regime is to do skin scratch-tests to determine what you're allergic too. Then a serum will be prepared for weekly injection to desensitize you immune system to the allergens. Unfortunately, it works for only about 40% of the cases. I've been through the regime three times over the years (to keep tabs on the technology) and it's never worked for me.

There has been little progress in understanding, preventing and curing Asthma in the 61 years that I've had it. However, there has been a lot of progress through chemistry to keep the symptoms under control. The most effective of these are the inhaled beta agonist drugs like the generic Albuterol. They are effective, but have to be used with care as it's easy to overdose. Overdosing can cause death, but it's rare.

A break-thru beta agonist for me is SereVent. It's a time release beta-agonist. Now I live relatively Asthma free when exercising as long as the temperature is at least 40 degrees. It cut my need for Pravachol by an order of magnitude.

If you do have Asthma, you will want to also use an inhaled steroid like Azmacort to prevent long term lung damage.

There are various drugs formulated in pill form. I've found the benefits less than the inhaled drugs and they have pronounced negative side-affects. One early pill formulation put me in the hospital back in 1962. Needless to say I'm leery of pills for treating Asthma symptoms.

My condolences if you do have Asthma. However, there is life after Asthma as evidenced at least that my biking companions are all in their mid twenties to early 40's. It's never prevented me from backpacking, canoe tripping, road + mountain biking. The more aerobically fit you are, the less problem you'll have with it.

Good luck.

Al

PS: I forgot to mention that the cheap Claitin I mentioned is the generic form under the name "Loratadine".

bianchi_rider

Okay Verdict is in:
Yes I do have asthma..............
BUT!!!!!!
It was caused by a nasal infection. I broke my left cheek bone apx 20 years ago, it was repaired and I was told my sinuses may not be 100%
Dr today informed me that after time, a few more knocks to my nose and head from boxing things have probably shifted causing my sinuses not to be draining, this has been going on for over 3 years but since I am so hard headed and hate going to Drs it could have been taken care of a long time ago.
He gave me Prednisone, Doxycycl, Rhinocort, and Advair.
He says I need to get my sinus infection fixed, once its fixed I should not have problems with the asthma, but as long as I do have the drainage or sinus problems the asthma will always be there.
Whew, what a releif, at least I do know now that I can do something about this and it doesnt have to be perminant,,
Thanks again everyone I do appreciaate all your words and info, even if I did get called "binky" I hope thats a good thing at least

1oldRoadie

nope..if the doctor said specifically "Bianachi, you have asthma." as an adult you will have it for the rest of your life >>>> but it highly treatable and should cause you no more problems than hair loss...IF YOU KEEP TAKING THE PRESCRIBED DRUGS.

So the answer to your thread is the ultimate bikeforum answer "shut up and ride"

marc k

i have had asthma since i was 6 years old. had some major issues early on, but mainly because i had doctors that did not know how to properly treat it. had some problems until about 8 years ago, when i moved to the states and got an asthma and allergy specialist. he changed me from reactive medications to preventative meds. i'm now taking advair and allegra/flonase and i'm almost to perfect levels everytime they check my lung functions. you shouldn't be freaked out. it's totally treatable with no side effects - i'm living and peddaling proof.

mk

bianchi_rider

Thanks Marc,
Yea since I have had these new meds its been great, I can breath all day and night, no more nasal congestion and no wheezing...
I kind of new I have had asthma, but was never really diagnosed, they gave me a puffer and steroids everytime I visited the dr, but they thought it was bronchitous...
The specialist I saw the other day did narrow it down to a nasal infection that has caused the asthma.
I never had such an attack and was concerned that it was going to be like that all the time, all my previous attacks were all so minor and the puffer usually took care of it, but this last one , boy oh boy I tell ya, I was scared...
I mean I am 5'11" apx 125lbs, former boxer that isnt afraid of getting punched or getting hurt, but when i couldnt breath and my chest felt as if it was going to explode or my heart stop, that was scarey.. LOL wish i would have had cycling as my first love years ago instead of boxing maybe my nose would still be straight and I wouldnt have the problems as I do now. LOL
But then again I am pretty stubborn with a bad temper I am sure someone some where would have rearranged my nose even if it wasnt boxing...
Thanks again

bianchi_rider

Well its been almost two months all the meds are gone, still have the puffer and nasal spray, I use the nasal spray every day and the puffer only once in a great while if I cough alot.
I feel great and havent had one attack since I started this thread.
I am going to take a ride tomorrow, not sure how far yet, but definately no less than 30 miles.
Wish me luck and thanks to all that shared info and support.